“What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile” (Psalm 34:12,13).
TEXT —Psalm 34:11-14
Message
“The boneless tongue, so small and weak, can crush and kill,” declares the Greek. “The tongue destroys a greater horde,” the Turk asserts, “than does the sword.” “The tongue can speak a word whose speed,” says the Chinese, “outstrips the steed.” Meanwhile, Arab sages say, “The tongue’s great storehouse is the heart.” The Hebrew says, “The feet should slip, ne’er let the tongue.” The inspired writer of Proverbs crowns the whole: “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles” (Proverbs 21:23).
In today’s text, the psalmist prescribes guarding our speech to guarantee a quiet and peaceful life. He recommends that as we go through our daily routines, we should carefully watch what we say and weigh our responses and comments about issues. Linking the redeemed life with the transformed tongue, he outlines its positive effects on society. The righteous person pursues peace and becomes an agent for fostering peaceful cohabitation in an otherwise tense and turbulent world.
The tongue, if yielded to God, can be used by Him to transform lives and inspire good living. On the other hand, if yielded to the devil, it can be the source of regret and sorrow. Many homes have been ruined, businesses destroyed, and friendships strained through the misuse of the tongue. We can evade avoidable troubles and reduce our regrets when our tongues are transformed. Sectarian violence, ethnic cleansing, and genocidal wars are largely ignited through unguarded and insightful hate speech. There are leaders in every field of human endeavour who succeed or fail primarily because of the misuse of the tongue.
Going by the principle of having whatever you say, we should learn from now to always commit our tongues to valuable purposes. The important lesson here is to speak progress, advancement, productivity and fruitfulness into our lives and families. We can begin the reconciliation process and help bring healing and progress to our world by releasing our hearts to be transformed by grace through Christ’s blood. Beginning from now, irrespective of whatever ruins your tongue has caused, ask the Lord to help you. If we surrender our lives to the Redeemer, a new life can spring up from today.
Thought for the day
A healthy tongue is a sign of a healthy heart and life.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
2 comments
Bless by the teaching on the tongue. May the Lord by his grace sanctify my tongue and heart and use it for healing and blessing in Jesus name
Thank you Lord for today’s daily manna, and the message therein. Father, please help me to control the use of my tongue, in reverence to your commandments and ordinances. Let me not abuse the use of my tongue in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Bless by the teaching on the tongue. May the Lord by his grace sanctify my tongue and heart and use it for healing and blessing in Jesus name
Thank you Lord for today’s daily manna, and the message therein. Father, please help me to control the use of my tongue, in reverence to your commandments and ordinances. Let me not abuse the use of my tongue in Jesus’ name, Amen.